


hunting for cryptids

by deplorable_teacup



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Rating May Change, except lance who lives around where matt works, lance isnt really there in the first chapter, lance meeting matt has to be written i swear on it, modern day AU, possible continuation later for the other ships, sam holt is just mentioned and colleen holt is also just mentioned, slav eventually gets stuck as a fully human ish with his tail and ears still there, slav somehow wound up mostly human but still alien enough to be considered an alien, they all live in a small town
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 18:22:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13746672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplorable_teacup/pseuds/deplorable_teacup
Summary: Matt is a great big brother and takes Pidge out to hunt for cryptids with their friend Keith. Life changes enough after a particular night out with the two cryptid hunting dorks. Mainly because Matt finds an alien.





	hunting for cryptids

**Author's Note:**

> i will pointedly blame my friend for this fic bc they suggested that matt and slav would be a good ship but i have no idea how well this even turned out so it'll probably be more focused on the other ships that are more background relevant

Matt let out a loud yawn as he stood up, sparing a glance back at his companion in bed. Imagine his luck when he happened to meet an alien while out looking for cryptids with Pidge and Keith. They had insisted there was something out in the woods nearby that wasn’t human, and Matt entertained them by taking them out while Pidge stayed at his place.

Their town was small, and everyone knew the Holts. After all, they were the local smart family. Their mom was insistent they stay even when their dad went off to live closer to the nearby space research center since they were insistent on getting him there. He sends more than enough money for their mom to just take care of them, but Matt was insistent on getting his own place since the old house at the edge of town that was so small was for sale.

Now he lived there and entertained Pidge and their friend Keith who came down to live there since Shiro, Matt’s online friend, had decided to move down there to teach after he met the requirements to teach there. Matt found it interesting how he brought down his foster brother, but mostly found it endearing since it was clear how close they were.

If he didn’t know better, he’d say Keith had fallen for Shiro; however, he’d heard multiple times when Pidge and Keith were hanging out at his house about a mysterious guy named Hunk. Apparently he was Lance’s friend. Though, Matt was still skeptical about this Lance guy. He hadn’t met Lance yet, but he didn’t expect any time soon. Especially not now that he was housing an alien.

The way they met was… dramatic to say the least.

\---

Keith quickly shushed Pidge, insisting he had just seen something off in the distance. Pidge got as quiet as they could and motioned for Matt to go away or be a distraction, he wasn’t sure. So that was how he wound up walking away from the noise and almost directly into a cave in the dark.

Matt let out a loud sigh before he felt a soft tail brush his leg. He barely spared a glance before clicking his tongue as if it was a cat. “Here kitty, come to Matt.” He knelt down, holding his hand towards the direction he’d seen the furry being go. He was decently surprised when it turned towards him and stood up. Multiple sets of short arms appeared and Matt took a moment to consider just how rude he’d just been. “You’re not a cat, and I’m so sorry for calling you a cat.”

“My name is Slav and all of the other realities equate to a 98% chance you’ll take me in and help me out.” Matt pursed his lips and shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. Do you enjoy building stuff?” Slav nodded, Matt giving a grin. “Then we’ll get along. I hope you don’t mind my little sibling. They’re kind of an alien and cryptid fanatic.” Matt pulled off his jacket and wrapped Slav up in it.

“Why did you give this to me? There’s a multitude of different possible reasons, but which is it?” Slav stared at him, clearly looking for an answer. He wasn’t quite fully alien and he seemed somewhat uncomfortable in his current form. There were three extra pairs of arms aligning with his abdominal muscles that emerged from his sides. They were fiddling nervously with the zipper on the jacket as well as with each other.

“Well, you looked kind of cold.” Matt shrugged. “I’m just a nice guy. Besides, you can’t just show off that assortment of extra arms and that bushy tail.” Matt moved to zip the jacket up. “Not to mention, you’re kind of naked right now? Did you not notice?” Slav glanced down before shrugging.

“It wasn’t at the top of the list of priorities. Right now, I need to figure out how to get back to my usual form and back to my proper place. It’s absolutely terrifying to only know some of the alternate realities!” Matt hummed as he zipped up the jacket, doing a quick once around. Slav was, when at his full height, a little below Matt’s pectoral muscles.

“Do you mind if I carry you? It’d be easier to disguise you as a child if I do that.”

“I’m not a human child and refuse to be known as such!” Matt watched as the hair that sat on his head poofed up slightly with his quickly reddened cheeks. Matt snickered. “I will be your companion for now, and you may carry me only because it is very difficult to walk with such long legs.” Upon closer inspection, as Matt picked up Slav, he noticed small fuzzy ears in his hair. They were clearly not human in their shape, but that didn’t bug him any.

“Well, Slav, I’ll do my best to help you out.”

“Make sure you don’t-”

“I’m not going to let you demand anything right now, either. I’m going to focus on coming up with a story for my younger sibling and their friend.” Slav huffed a noise before going quiet on the trek back.

It wasn’t long before Slav curled himself up in Matt’s arms, napping. When he got to Pidge and Keith he had given up on finding an excuse. The looks on their faces had him holding Slav a bit more protectively to his chest. The offer he receives from Keith is more surprising than anything.

“I’ll make him clothes if you need me to. I’m really good with a sewing machine and Shiro has old clothes I was wanting to repurpose.” Pidge looks at him before nodding. “I’ll need measurements, though.” That was where Pidge’s eyes sparkled as Matt clearly saw why.

“For now,” Matt readjusted Slav’s position against his chest, “we’re going home. Pidge, text mom you’re staying over; I was going to take you guys home after this. Now, Keith, I’ll only let you make clothes for him if you make him a pair of warm pajamas first.”

“I can probably make something up tonight. No guarantees it’ll be perfect.”

\---

“Matt.” Slav also sat up, stretching out all of his body despite the hastily made pajamas. “I am thankful for you taking me in. I imagine it will be a short while before I can figure out a cure to this odd condition, but I will try to expedite it!” He raised his right hands up with a clear determination.

“You’re fine to live here as long as you need.” Matt scratched at his stomach, Slav immediately scrambling over.

“There is a slight chance that is a sign of a very deadly illness! May I check?” Matt looked down at him, stuck with eye contact. Slav almost yelped when Matt placed a hand on his head.

“Relax, Slav. You must be hungry.” Slav merely nodded before scrambling up onto Matt’s back. Luckily, he quickly readjusted for the added weight. “I guess I’m carrying you then.” With multiple hands holding onto him, Matt went to the door. Just as Slav started to say something, Matt ran a hand over his head, gently rubbing behind his ear. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re safe, buddy.”

Matt grabbed his glasses from the dresser by the door, slipping them on. With his vision clearer now, he opened the door and went out.

The small room that he entered currently housed two sleeping cryptids of their own variety: his younger sibling Pidge and their friend Keith. Keith snored loudly, and Matt barely heard the music from the earbuds shoved in Pidge’s ears. He shook his head as he went to the small kitchen, going about making bacon. Slav’s hands were tight on him, but that was okay.

“I bet you’ve never tried bacon. It’s delicious.” Slav sniffed at the offered piece, barely nibbling on it before taking it. Matt heard him crunching away on it, feeling the tail flick lazily against the backs of his thighs. “Did you enjoy it?”

“I would like more.” Matt huffed a laugh, picking up a slightly less cooked piece. He offered it and Slav took it, a little bit less crunching this time.

“Glad you like it.” Slav hummed his acknowledgement, enjoying the piece he was savoring. Matt heard the all too familiar thump of Keith falling on the floor and the accompanying yelp from Pidge. “Try to be quieter when waking up!” Matt barely raised his voice since the room was right next to the kitchen, Keith quickly up and peeking in.

“You-” Keith stopped, looked at Slav in his hastily sewn together pajamas, and nodded. “They fit. I’m glad.” Matt glanced from the oven before looking back to it. “Sorry to make you sleep with Matt; me and Pidge always sleep on the couches.”

“It wasn’t an issue. He is a very warm human and I am glad to have not gotten cold last night.” Matt shakes his head slightly, opting to leave out the fact Slav clung to him like he couldn’t sleep without another in the bed. It was surprisingly comfortable despite the awkward situation. “My lack of fur makes it extremely difficult for me to regulate my temperature now.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, eyes going up and down. “Is that why you’re clinging so desperately to Matt?” Slav looked between them, eyeing Keith and Matt.

“That isn’t important.” Matt spared Keith a glance before almost squawking as Pidge came in.

“Pidge! Put a shirt on!” They looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. “Please, for the love of all things cryptic, put one on.”

“If you’d just get central air installed, you wouldn’t have this issue.” Pidge grumbled as they went and picked up Keith’s handmade cropped jacket. Throwing it on, they heard Keith groan. “Then Keith wouldn’t have to clean his jacket every time we come over.”

“He needs to clean it more anyway.” Keith huffed before going back to his couch and curling back up.

“Wake me up when Shiro starts panicking cause I’m not home. Or when he’s here.” Pidge spared him a glance before going over to Matt. They stole some of the bacon before heading back to their couch as well. Matt sighed as he finished cooking up the bacon. He toasted a few pieces of bread and took his and Slav’s combined breakfast back to his room. He, once again, passed by the two modern day cryptids and Slav looked between them with a hint of curiosity.

Matt carried on as usual, closing the door behind him as he went into his room. Slav crawled off his back and onto his bed as he sat down. If Matt didn’t have an odd affinity for horror, Slav’s arms would’ve been traumatizing with how he crawled on them. Not that he would’ve been particularly scared of any alien if and when they ask for his help.

It was slow going before he heard shuffling in the living room. Slav had fallen back asleep, comfortably fed and curled up in Matt’s blankets. He checked and just found Keith laying on the floor now.

Shrugging it off, Matt went to his phone. Shiro had sent him a text, telling him to make sure Keith ate something. “Well, I guess it’ll be a slow day off.” His voice was quiet as he went to his bookshelf. It was relatively easy to move his things to the new house, comfortably settled in already. He ran a hand through his hair, noting that he should cut it soon. He’d noticed how overgrown Pidge’s hair was, but there wasn’t much they wanted him to do about that. He respected that they were nonbinary, but that still wasn’t a reason to let their hair grow out into a bird’s nest. He’d made a point of threatening them with scissors once, but it didn’t do anything.

For now, a book to keep him company was all he needed with his bed occupied. He slowly settled into his reading chair that sat by the window, letting the world outside illuminate the words on his book. That particular window faced the sunrise, so he always knew it was a good placing for morning reading.

His eyes drifted occasionally from the book up to the alien curled up in his bed. At one point or another he’d noticed the slightest whimper coming from his bed. He checked the time to find it’d only been perhaps an hour. A soft sigh left him as he got up and let Slav cuddle up to him. It was comfortable, and he could still read his book so that’s what he did.

Time drifted slowly before Pidge was rudely knocking on his door. They didn’t wait for a verbal answer before coming in. “Keith is making the weird hungry sleepy noises. I’m not invading your kitchen so feed him.” Pidge sounded so matter of fact about it, that Matt had to wonder if this happened when they stayed at Keith’s place, or more specifically Shiro’s place.

He tried to get up, finding Slav grumbling as he moved. He gently pat his head enough to convince him to let go just long enough for Matt to escape. Matt spared a glance at Slav, watching him grab Matt’s huge pillow and cling to it. A sigh left Matt’s lips.

He quickly took care of the food for Keith to eat, going back to his room after shoving it in Pidge’s hands. It hadn’t been long, but he heard Slav whimpering again, and his feet took him faster than his mind acknowledged.

His door was shut and he was comfortably curled up with Slav despite his human-ish alien body. If there was anything in particular that stood out to Matt, it would be the fluffy tail that kept curling around his arm. It was so warm and soft, Matt had to wonder what Slav normally looked like. Not that that helps him much in the moment as Slav gets extra touchy with his extra arms in his sleep.

Matt merely rolled his eyes and moved closer until he was hugging Slav, letting Slav nuzzle against his chest. It’d be a while until Slav would have to leave, and Matt took a weird comfort in that. He hopes it isn’t too selfish to want Slav to stay.

\---

“Matt! We’re leaving! Text Shiro we’re not going to be here by the time he gets off. Matt groaned as he curled closer to the warmth in his bed. The warmth responded kindly with a hand petting his hair.

“It’s my day off… Let me sleep…” Matt grumbled, his mood completely different from last time. It’d been a week since Slav had effectively moved in, and Keith had made him plenty of clothes to keep warm, but Slav always wound up cuddled with Matt. He was clingy in the mornings when Matt had to leave for work, waking up early so he could make the hour long drive to get to work.

He heard his door click open and noticed an unfamiliar voice muttering outside it. Matt can’t help himself as he leans down and requests Slav to stay still. He gets up, Slav still cuddled under his blankets. Leaning against the doorframe, he pulls the door open. An unfamiliar yelp from the other side has him tilting his head.

“You are?” Matt waves his hand vaguely in the air at the very large man, someone he wouldn’t have expected such a squeak from.

“Hunk… I’m, uh, well, I’m the mechanic in town… I’m friends with Shiro and he sent me to get Keith and Pidge… I figured you might like to know I’m taking them…” He was a nervous man, alright. Matt slid a hand through his hair before smiling.

“Well, aren’t you a gentleman. Thank you for letting me know they aren’t just walking off with some complete stranger.” Matt stretched out, a groan leaving him as he did. “If Shiro trusts you, then I do too. Feel free to visit some time if you’d like. I can give you my number, too, if you’d like.”

“I, yes, that’d be good. I’m also Shiro’s neighbor if you ever need me for something… I’m told I’m good with my hands…” A moment passes where Hunk contemplates his words before immediately going wide eyed and covering his mouth.

“It’s okay, big guy.” Matt hadn’t had his glasses on, so he reached over and grabbed them. Slipping them on quickly, he looked back to Hunk. “You seem nice. Maybe we could just chat sometime.” Matt held out a hand, Hunk quickly registering that it was for his phone. When the phone landed in Matt’s hand, he was surprised to find a flip phone. He glanced up a moment before going about pulling up the contacts.

“Sorry, I use a flip phone since it’s a little easier on my big fingers. Though, it’s actually more of a backup phone since I’m always forgetting my smartphone at home. I’ll make sure you get both of my numbers since this is my on the go phone, and the other is my at home phone or on trips phone…” Hunk trailed off, realizing he was rambling. On the edge of an apology, Matt gave his phone back with a smile.

“Don’t worry about explaining it to me, buddy. I’m just glad to have someone else to bug, now.” He gave a grin, clearly teasing him. “I’ll put you in my phone in a bit, but for now I’m going back to sleep, this week has been exhausting.”

“Rest well, Matt.” Hunk spoke softly before he was dragged away by Pidge and Keith wanting to leave. They both waved at him as he closed his door. Taking his glasses off, he let out another sigh. Slav lifted up the blankets with his shoulders, clearly checking on Matt.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine.” He took a minute to check his eyes in the mirror, noticing they were a little discolored from usual. It’d have to be fine because he was too tired to figure out what it might be. “Let’s go back to sleep.”

Slav quickly agreed as he cuddled up to Matt in the bed again. Having an alien as a rommate who can’t do much more than eat and sleep was strange. He’d never imagined himself having a roommate to begin with, let alone one that couldn’t work.

It’d be alright though, because he’d work for the both of them.

\---

Another week passed and Slav had noticed how groggy Matt was getting. He’d gone to work on his usual day off, confusing Slav entirely. Keith and Pidge had tried to show up, but they must have noticed his car not being there. It was odd to not see Matt on their usual day to spend sleeping in.

Slav was startled by the sound of ringing that went through out the house. “If you hear ringing and I’m not home, pick it up. It should be me.” Slav cautiously picked up the phone, muttering a quiet hello.

“Hello? Are you the resident Mr. Matt Holt has specified as Slav?” Slav mutters a yes. “Good! He has been administered to the hospital for overworking himself and should be back home tomorrow, unless he can get a ride from a friend tonight. When he comes home, make sure he gets plenty of rest. Thank you, Mr. Slav.” Slav muttered his thanks before hanging up the phone.

Matt had showed him how to call Shiro if he ever needed to, mentioning that he was the one to call if something happened. Slav quickly did as such, paranoia creeping up on him quickly. As it ringed, his mind went over the possible reasons for why Matt would overwork himself. Slav was quiet as he surprised himself by realizing he was the only possible reason for Matt to overwork himself.

“Hello?” Slav muttered a quiet mess of what he recalled hearing from the person a moment ago. “Okay, I’ll be over in a minute to talk to you in person.” Slav said his goodbyes and quickly hung up, running off to put more presentable clothes on. Even if he was sure he wasn’t going to leave the house, he didn’t want to be caught in his pajamas if he had to leave the house.

Maybe ten minutes passed before Shiro was knocking on the door. Slav opened it, still hesitant about letting him in particular see him. Slav watched as Hunk followed Shiro through the door, Pidge and Keith just behind him.

He couldn’t help but scurry off to Matt’s bedroom, tucking himself under the blanket to avoid being a possible cause for further problems.

The humans talked in the living room, saying who should go and who should stay here. Pidge and Keith both agreed that they should stay, and then it was about whether Hunk or Shiro should drive Matt home in his car. Hunk offered himself since he was a mechanic, but Shiro wanted to argue. They went back and forth a while before Slav heard Shiro squeak as his feet were, presumably, lifted from the floor.

There was some agreement, and then he heard them leaving. The house was quiet, but Slav knew Pidge and Keith were there. He heard Pidge groan and do something. Keith mentioned something, but Slav couldn’t understand.

It would be fine, if only Slav could believe that.

\---

Slav woke up with Matt clearly making no effort to properly prepare for bed. His ears flicked as he looked up at Matt, a relief going through him. “Matt! You’re back.” Matt was clearly startled by Slav’s outburst, turning around before their eyes met. “I was worried.”

“You’re always worried, Slav. I figured you would’ve just left when I disappeared since no one could tell me if you were here or not.” Slav shook his head, standing up on his arms, lifting the blankets with him. “I don’t know why, but that made me not want to come back.”

“But this is your home.”

“A home means nothing when you get used to it having someone in it and then it doesn’t.” Matt let out a sigh before turning back to Slav. He didn’t look well, that much was clear, but Slav didn't hesitate to embrace him once he was back in the bed.

“It was supposed to be your day off. You never work today.” Slav blinked owlishly at Matt, wanting to understand why he would overwork himself.

“I also don’t think I’ve ever had an alien roommate. Working today or not isn’t a big deal to me, but apparently I’ve been pushing it. That’s my fault and no one else’s.” Matt curled up, a yawn slipping past his lips as he nuzzled up to Slav. “Let’s just sleep for now, Slav.”

Slav went to petting him, helping him relax before his breathing was even and he was asleep. Slav protectively held him, clearly not wanting to let go.

Sometimes, you find new things in strange predicaments. Sometimes you want to keep those things. Maybe it wasn’t so much of a predicament, and more a blessing in disguise.

He may forget what it was like to be alone.

Maybe that’s for the better.

**Author's Note:**

> again, blame my friend for this silly fic that i'll probably continue just for the laid back attitude i have with it
> 
> comments are appreciated and im always available on my twitter ( @ blanketedition ) for p much any and all ships ;3


End file.
